Sociology · May / June 2023 · Paper 21 · Question 2
0495
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Educational achievement is not the same for everyone. Some social groups typically do better than others in examinations. Sociologists debate the causes of these differences in achievement. Some 2 sociologists claim it is because of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Other sociologists argue that material deprivation is the main factor, but ethnicity and gender are also relevant.
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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘self−fulfilling prophecy’? One mark for partial definition, e.g. acting like a stereotype;
Two marks for clear definition, e.g. when people act in the way they have been expected to, making the expectations come true.
2(b)[4]
Describe two examples of ethnocentrism in schools. Possible answers:
history − what is taught in the history syllabus in schools may favour the ethnic majority and thus ethnic minority pupils may learn nothing of their own people’s experiences;language − the dominant ethnic group’s language may be more valued than ethnic minority groups whose slang or patois may be criticised and devalued;authors studied − it may be that the authors studied reflect the ethnic majority make–up of the students, implicitly devaluing the culture and literature of ethnic minority groups;the way the school year and school holidays are organised may make children from some ethnic backgrounds not feel included e.g. based on cultural norms of the ethnic majority;the curriculum today is often based on the white culture (Troyna and Williams) − in British schools the curriculum is ethnocentric because it ‘gives priority to the white culture and English language’, there is no diversity to the curriculum;school routines and practices − the kind of food available in a school may reflect the cultural majority and exclude minority ethnic groups;school uniform requirements may reflect culturally dominant values etc.;
Ball − he criticises the school curriculum for being ethnocentric as it routinely ignores the history of minority ethnic groups and what they have achieved;Student/teacher attitudes – stereotyping – whereby there are negative and/or lower expectations placed on ethnic minority students that devalue their abilities and potential to achieve well;any other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).2(c)[6]
Explain how material deprivation may affect the educational achievement of students. Possible answers:
type of school attended − attending a disadvantaged school in a poor area that cannot offer as good an education as those in more prosperous areas or private schools will negatively affect aspirations and achievement;diet − an inadequate diet, lacking in fresh food and nutrients has been shown to lead to problems in concentration and tiredness;home environment − not having a quiet place to study, over−crowding, cold/damp conditions will all negatively affect educational achievement;resources − a lack of educational books, materials, computer, software, private tutors etc. will all disadvantage a child in terms of their achievement;preschool − not having attended preschool education because of a lack of money to pay the fees has been shown to disadvantage a child’s learning and achievement;part−time jobs − poorer students often have to combine earning a wage with going to school and studying which is likely to affect how well they do;financial position of parents − coming from a family that is not able to financially support children through further or higher education may cause students to limit their ambitions from an early age and so affect their school achievements;any other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1−3 marks] Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of the question. Responses may be short and un/underdeveloped. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point, but there may be a tendency towards simplistic answers, engaging with sociological ideas without using sociological language. Band 2 [4−6 marks] Answers in this band will have clear and accurate explanation, showing good sociological knowledge and understanding. Sociological terms and concepts should be expected and explained. At the bottom of the band, the range of points covered may be narrow or lack detail. Higher in the band, answers will cover more than one point in a well−developed way or cover several points in less detail.2(d)[8]
Explain why schools use sanctions and rewards. Possible answers:
socialisation − functionalists believe education passes on the shared norms and values of society through the hidden curriculum and the school’s system of sanctions and rewards and so helps students feel like they belong to society (social solidarity);formal social control − formal control such as exclusions and isolations are used to ensure that students conform to the rules and regulations of school and then to wider society;informal social control − facial expressions and words are used in school in order to subtly influence what students perceive as right and wrong behaviour − this can be through praise or disapproval;deterrence − sanctions are used by schools in order to deter students from choosing the ‘wrong’ path and so help to maintain social order;role modelling/imitation − by demonstrating the correct actions/attitudes and rewarding those students that do this schools are able to mould young people into the good citizens of the future e.g. manners;social hierarchy − Marxists believe the sanctions and rewards used by schools are there to maintain the status quo;the social hierarchy is not challenged as students are encouraged to ‘know their place’ and thus ruling class power and privilege is maintained;
Marxism − preparation for the world of work − indoctrination happens through the hidden curriculum and is reinforced through sanctions and rewards e.g. students learn to be punctual through being punished if they are late − this is also needed in the world of work;patriarchy − sanctions and rewards are used in schools to ensure the continuation of gender roles and to ensure that males maintain their privileges in society (feminism) e.g. gender role models in schools and teachers having higher expectations of boys in terms of careers;any other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1−3 marks] Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of the question. A tendency to description is likely. Responses may be short and undeveloped and points stated without explanation. Sociological terms and concepts are unlikely to be used. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point. Band 2 [4−6 marks] Answers in this band will show basic sociological knowledge and understanding. Responses maybe underdeveloped and lacking in range. At the bottom of the band, candidates are unlikely to use sociological terms and concepts accurately. Higher in the band, candidates may be beginning to use sociological terms and concepts with greater accuracy. However, some aspects of the answer may only be partially developed/explained. Band 3 [7−8 marks] Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding and will be well−developed and explained. Sociological terms and concepts will be used accurately overall. Answers will be well−focused on the question and there will be a range of points presented. At the top of the band explanations will be clear throughout.2(e)[15]
To what extent does gender affect educational achievement? Possible answers: Arguments for:
boys are prioritised for access to education over girls in some societies meaning their achievements will be higher;subject choice − girls typically choose to study communication and arts–based subjects whereas boys choose technology and science − this will affect achievement in particular subjects;classroom space − studies show that labs and some classrooms are dominated by boys meaning that male students tend to get more teacher attention − this is likely to affect achievement;textbook representations − these can still be quite stereotypical when it comes to gender, meaning that boys and girls may feel that some subjects are not for them − this can lower aspirations in that subject;societal changes − the attitude and motivation of girls has increased because there are more opportunities now for girls to do well and more successful women acting as role models;positive discrimination − some schools use these schemes to encourage girls to aim higher − e.g. they may ensure that girls have priority over boys in lab equipment access;girls are often better motivated, more studious and spend more time on coursework, they may occupy a ‘bedroom culture’ and therefore achieve more than boys;teacher labelling − teachers may see boys as more troublesome and punish them more than girls leading to a self−fulfilling prophecy of underachievement;laddish behaviour − boys may be more influenced by peer pressure and may be part of an anti−school subculture (Willis);much schoolwork is based on writing and reading which does not typically suit male interests which tend to be much more active and outdoors;fewer traditionally male jobs − this may make boys think there’s little point in them working hard to pass exams when there are few job opportunities;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:meritocracy − functionalists believe that education offers all students the same opportunities for success so if one student is less successful than another this must be down to how much work and effort has been put in;material factors − how much money a student has for resources, private tuition, computer, software, revision resources etc. may have a much greater impact on educational achievement than their gender;home factors − whether a student’s home life is conducive to educational success may have more impact than the students gender on achievement e.g. quiet study space, parents valuing education, diet etc.;ethnicity − some ethnic groups typically achieve a lot better than others in education and it may be this rather than gender that is most influential e.g. Archer’s research into why Chinese students do so well at school;social class − research shows that social class seems to be the most important social factor to influence a student’s educational achievement, not their gender;linguistic influences − the speech codes used by students and whether the majority language is the student’s first or second language may be far more influential on educational achievement than gender;peer group − the peer group a student belongs to has a big influence on their attitude to school and may affect whether they join an anti−school or a pro−school subculture − this is not to do with gender;too deterministic − to argue that gender affects student achievement is too deterministic − it depends on the individual involved;intersection − it is more likely that a combination of different social factors work together to affect educational achievement e.g. it is untrue to say that all males under−perform in education, whereas this is far more likely for working class and ethnic minority males;type of school attended − it may not be gender that affects educational achievement but instead the type of school attended e.g. results are typically higher in private and grammar schools than in state schools;curriculum − in most countries now girls and boys study the same curriculum so gender cannot be particularly influential when it comes to achievement;any other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1−4 marks] Answers in this band may be vague and largely based on common sense showing limited knowledge of the debate. Use of sociological terms or concepts is very unlikely. Responses may be short, undeveloped and one−sided. Lower in the band (1–2 marks), expect one or two weak points. Higher in the band (3–4 marks) candidates may offer more than two points and provide a weak definition of key terms in the question. Band 2 [5−8 marks] In this band candidates will show some basic knowledge of the debate. Alternatively, they may offer an answer which is list−like in nature but there will be no real attempt to assess the issues raised by the question. There may be limited/some use of sociological terms or concepts. Responses may be underdeveloped and lack range. Answers may be simplistic and two−sided or only cover one side of the debate. Lower in the band, the response may be rather narrow in the points covered and there may be some development. Higher in the band, more points are likely to be covered with some development. Alternatively, a list−like answer with some development covering both sides of the argument may score up to 8 marks. A one−sided answer cannot score higher than 8 marks. Band 3 [9−12 marks] Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding of the debate. Sociological terms and concepts will be used with greater accuracy and/or frequency. For the most part, answers will be well−developed, focused on the questions and there will be a range of points presented. There will be a two sided response but it may lack range on one side. At the bottom of the band, candidates may provide a narrower range of developed points. At the top of the band, expect a wider range of developed points and clear focus on the question. Band 4 [13−15 marks] Answers in this band will show excellent knowledge and understanding of the debate. There will be a strong grasp of the arguments as well as accurate and frequent use of sociological terms and concepts. Answers will be well−developed, clearly focused on the question and discuss a wide range of points. Responses will be two−sided and have a range of points on each side. At the bottom of the band (13 marks), the answer may lack a specific conclusion. Higher in the band, there will be a clear attempt to offer an assessment of the ‘To what extent.?’ part of the question through a focused conclusion.
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